Some catalyst systems may require a reactor with high agitation performance due to faster kinetics of the polymerization processes. Poor mixing performance may lead to reactor instability and poor product quality. For example the molecular weight distribution (MWD) may show broadening or there may be gel formation in the final polymer. For a given reactor and agitator system design, the range of products (e.g. product slate) that can be made in that set-up will also be limited by the reactor mixing performance.
While simply increasing agitation speeds is one option for achieving high mixing performance, this method has the disadvantages of higher expenses related to energy consumption, higher likelihood of damage to, or failure of, the agitators and/or seals if they are overworked, and an inability to understand the product sensitivity to small changes in agitator speeds. Some catalyst systems are less sensitive to the mixing performance of the reactor system. Therefore, there is an opportunity to optimize mixing to achieve one or more of reduced energy consumption in the reactor system; improved polymer consistency; broadened product slate; and improved translation or correlation of operation and procedures from one reactor system to another.